INFORMATION FROM THE EPO
Notice dated 1 June 1990 concerning EPO confirmation of receipt pursuant to Rule 24(4) EPC
1. At the request of clients the EPO has changed and speeded up the procedure for confirming the receipt of European patent applications forwarded by a central industrial property office of a Contracting State.
2. As from 1 August 1990 the applicant or his representative will no longer receive the communication pursuant to Rule 24(4) EPC in the form of a computer print-out (EPO Form 1033) but instead a copy of the receipt for documents at the back of the request for grant of a European patent (EPO Form 1001 01.90).
The advantage is that this acknowledgement can be sent immediately upon receipt of the application by the EPO without first having to wait for computer recording of the bibliographic data as previously. The applicant is thereby in most cases informed in time that the national authority has complied with the time limit for forwarding European patent applications pursuant to Article 77(5) EPC.
3. In order to ensure the smooth operation of the new procedure, the EPO requests applicants filing European patent applications via the competent national patent authorities always to attach the pre-printed receipt for documents (page 5 of EPO Form 1001 01.90) in 4 copies.
It is particularly important to remember that all documents relating to the European patent application must be filed with the EPO immediately upon receipt of the communication under Rule 24(4) EPC. Documents filed after receipt of this communication with a national authority and forwarded to the EPO by the latter are accorded as date of receipt the date on which they reached the EPO.